Category: Family Dental Care

One of a dentist’s favorite weeks of the year is National Smile Week. Not only are smiles a sign of a happy human, but it also makes us happy to know we are helping to make your smile bright and healthy. In honor of National Smile Week, we’d like to take a moment to help make sure you are perpetuating a healthy smile until your next dental appointment. A healthy smile starts with dental hygiene, so keep your pearly whites their brightest with these:

Dental hygiene. Not only do we need to brush, floss and rinse twice daily, but it is also a great idea to brush between meals if you can. Tooth decay is caused by the development of bacteria in our mouths, so having a quick brushing a half hour after eating will help reduce bacteria from causing tooth decay. If you don’t have a toothbrush handy, pop in a stick of sugar-free gum.

Drink your milk. Calcium is one of the main reasons our teeth are as strong as they are. If you don’t have enough in your diet, is can cause your teeth to weaken, making your teeth prone to damage. Keep your teeth strong by having plenty of calcium-rich foods in your diet.

Get a second opinion. You may think you have fantastic dental habits, but only a dental professional can really sign off on that. Keeping your dental appointments is important. Make sure you are visiting a dentist’s chair twice a year for a check-up.

If you are seeking help to improve your smile, call Dr. Haines in Snohomish, WA at 360-568-8577 or visit www.tedhainesdds.com.

When school lets out and we head out on our family vacations, it seems likely our daily schedules relax as we begin to. Our diets become less healthy and thus, so does our dental routine. The problem is, after your fantastic getaway, you may have some dental issues arise. In order to keep your family’s dental health, follow these handy tips:

Make it fun. Kids are going to be the toughest fight when it comes to keeping up dental hygiene any time of year, but especially during the summer. Why not make it fun? Visual reminders are awesome for helping kids create consistent brushing habits. Post a calendar by the sink with space for two stars each day – morning and night. Each week, if they kept their brushing up, reward them. It may sound like cheating, but children love working for a goal. Just try not to make the reward bad for teeth.

Brush in time. It is important that you brush your teeth for at least two minutes, but for little ones that could be tough. Have a playlist or a dance video ready and dance, dance, dance your way to clean teeth!

Clean up the diet. Summertime is all about sugar. Try to minimize the sugary snacks. Replace popsicles and cookies with sugar-free snacks like nuts and watermelon. When you do enjoy sweets, Rinse with some water to prevent sugar from sticking around. Making your family’s diet healthier will always help your dental, and overall, health. Dental health isn’t just for tiny humans, it’s a family affair.

If you are seeking help to improve your smile during your vacation, call Dr. Haines in Snohomish, WA at 360-568-8577 or visit www.tedhainesdds.com.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! Yes, we are smack dab in one sweltering summer and it seems frozen treats are the number one request to keep cool. The problem is, these chilly delights aren’t exactly the best for our teeth. And here are the reasons why:

Tooth decay. Frozen treats come in a variety of ways, but one thing is for sure – sugar is sure to be involved, whether you choose to indulge in an ice cream sundae, popsicle or a bit of “healthier” fro-yo. Sugar is needed for plaque to create cavities. In order to prevent tooth decay, make sure you practice proper dental hygiene.

Tooth Sensitivity. A huge issue some people face is tooth sensitivity, and this creates an obstacle when it comes to eating ice cream. If you find that it is difficult to consume chilly treats, chances are you have a dental issue. Make an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible. Tooth sensitivity is very treatable.

Calcium intake. You may be thinking – my teeth need calcium and ice cream is made from milk. So, ice cream is actually GOOD for us, right? Sorry, but it isn’t true. Yes, it does contain calcium, but not enough to keep your teeth healthy. You still need to drink your milk, kids.

We aren’t saying banish ice cream from your diet. By all means, please do. But be aware of just how much you are consuming. It’s possible to have too much of a good thing.

If you are seeking help to improve your smile during your vacation, call Dr. Haines in Snohomish, WA at 360-568-8577 or visit www.tedhainesdds.com.

There is nothing worse than discovering a toothache. You take a bite of your favorite food and WHAM! A shooting pain overwhelms your entire mouth and you can no longer look at your favorite food the same. Sadly, it’s time to visit the dentist.

But what exactly is a toothache and how did we end up in this kind of pain? Well, there are lots of different ways a toothache can occur. It can be as simple as a cracked tooth, cavities or exposed roots; but it can also be something more serious, like your ears or sinuses causing the issue.

When it comes to pain, each one of us has a different threshold of pain tolerance. Some can work through a headache, some are taken out at the first signs of one. Because both headaches and toothaches are detected by the same trigeminal nerve in your head, there is no real way to crack the case without the help of your dental professional.

In the end, it is important to pay attention to the signals your body gives you when something is wrong. Ignoring the pain will only lead to more problems, so make an appointment to see your dentist as soon as you find headaches or toothaches are persistent. There’s nothing to be afraid of. The technological advancements in dentistry makes dental procedures easy and virtually painless. This is why it’s so important to take care of your teeth. Good oral hygiene is the best line of defense against a toothache.

If you are seeking help to improve your smile call Dr. Haines in Snohomish, WA at 360-568-8577 or visit www.tedhainesdds.com.

When the goal is to have the best smile possible, there may be times we need some extra help to achieve it. Luckily, if our tooth is cracked or damaged, we have ways to fix it, namely a dental crown. So, what are their benefits? Take a look…

Undergoing a dental crown procedure can improve the look of broken or cracked teeth. If you are suffering from a loss of teeth, dental crowns are the solution to replace any missing teeth.

One of the best reasons to get a dental crown is because they look extremely natural, so no one will ever know that you have had dental work done. The porcelain and composite resin crowns match the exact shade of your natural teeth.

For those of you who are consistent coffee drinkers, dental crowns are perfect because they are stain-resistant due to the porcelain used to create them, making dingy teeth are a thing of the past.

Another great point is that dental crowns can last up to 15 years so you don’t need to worry about them as long as you look after them.

Dental crowns are restorative and preventive measures that improve missing or damaged teeth. Dental crowns also drastically decrease the amount of bacteria build-up that can lead to the loss of more teeth.

If you are seeking help to improve your smile and are interested in dental crowns call Dr. Haines in Snohomish, WA at 360-568-8577 or visit www.tedhainesdds.com.

There is nothing more delicious than a fresh strawberry on a warm Spring day. If it’s homegrown, it’s even tastier. But are they good for your teeth? Reports are conflicting. Some have touted a strawberry-baking soda paste mixture as a healthy, natural way to whiten your teeth. Some have said that the acidity in strawberries are damaging the tooth enamel. So, which is correct? Let’s take a look at the facts:

Strawberries are a sweet juicy fruit that have both citric and malic acids. These acids, when combined with baking soda, have been known to brighten your teeth. However, like lemons, the whitening agent the acidity brings can potentially erode tooth enamel. In fact, Ran Kwon, a tooth whitening researcher at the University of Iowa delved into this subject through a series of experiments.

Kwon first rubbed a mixture of baking soda and California-grown organic strawberries on 20 recently extracted human molars for 5 minutes, and then brushed the teeth gently. She repeated this procedure three times daily for 10 days, which is what the original recipe called for.

What resulted was that these teeth brushed with the strawberry and baking soda formula showed no real whitening, based on two color-measurement tests, and an examination with a scientific instrument that detects colors known as a spectrophotometer. Unfortunately, the mixture only removed superficial debris from the teeth. Why?

According to the American Dental Association, this natural concoction lacks hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide and it is these chemicals that make whitening products work.

To find out more about natural teeth whitening, contact Dr. Ted Haines, DDS in Snohomish, WA at 360-568-8577 or visitwww.tedhainesdds.comfor additional information.

Did you know that close to 50,000 patients are diagnosed with oral cancer every year? And that’s just in the U.S. If caught quickly, there is a good chance it can be taken care of, but prevention is key. Because April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month, let’s take a quick look at how we can stay on top of our health.

First there are risk factors to keep in mind. Excessive use of tobacco products is already bad for you, but if you have this particular habit, paying close attention to any sores or patches in your mouth. Alcohol use and poor diet also play into oral cancer signs. Physical trauma and exposure to infectious disease are also ways you may develop symptoms.

The best way to stay on top of your oral health is to give yourself a quick exam every month. With a bright light and a mirror, follow these guidelines:

If you wear dentures, remove them.

Look and feel the insides of your lips and front of your gums

Tilt your head and check out the roof of your mouth

Tug your cheek so you can analyze the surfaces and back of your mouth

Inspect all areas of your tongue

And feel your lymph nodes to make sure they aren’t getting enlarged and there are no lumps

You are trying to find any type of persistent sores or growths that may cause you to have issues eating, speaking. If you feel you may have symptoms of oral cancer, make an oral cancer screening appointment with your dental professional.

To find out more about oral cancer screenings, contact Dr. Ted Haines, DDS in Snohomish, WA at 360-568-8577 or visit www.tedhainesdds.com for additional information.

If there is anything we love, it is a bright white smile. In fact, we love it so much, 100 million Americans whiten their teeth in some form or fashion. And sure, there are lots of ways you can achieve these glistening grins – over-the-counter brands and good habits are the simplest, but what if there was a way to brighten our smiles in a single hour? It doesn’t get faster than that! We are proud to now introduce ZOOM! Whitening System into our office’s repertoire of services.

With ZOOM! Teeth Whitening System, whitening your teeth has now gotten both quicker and hassle-free. During your visit, our trained clinicians will place a protective barrier along your cheeks and gums. The Zoom whitening gel is then applied to the teeth. The secret lies in the one-two punch of gel used in correlation with the Zoom light, which gently penetrates the surface of the teeth to break up stains and discolorations. The gel is applied for three 15 minute sessions. This is the best part: during this time, you can relax, watch a DVD or listen to music while it’s all happening.

Once you have your magical smile back to new, the aftercare is straight-forward as well. No dark, red, spicy foods or drinks for at least 48 hours while the pellicle returns to protect your teeth from stains. After that, just continue to keep up with proper dental hygiene as you normally would. There are also take-home trays available to maintain your pearly whites in between visits.

To find out more about ZOOM! Teeth Whitening System, contact Dr. Ted Haines, DDS in Snohomish, WA at 360-568-8577 or visit www.tedhainesdds.com for additional information.

Babies just don’t get any cuter. New to the world, unaware of anything but mommy, babies are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to their new surroundings. Everyone wants to hold them and comfort them in any way possible. Life is wonderful! Then around the sixth month, they begin to teethe…

The first real signs of the beginnings of teething happen between six and ten months. This is when their first little chompers start to show themselves. They begin in the front with the top and bottom central teeth, and then later incisors. It can be quite painful for little ones, so make sure you have frozen teething rings, tasty teething biscuits and soothing gels handy. Another tip: using a warm washcloth to sooth those sore gums as they come in. Coincidentally, this will also begin what will be their daily dental routine.

One their first year hits, so will their first molars. The canines, or “fangs”, follow suit within the first year or two. These will make it easier for them to bite down on some of the tougher foods. Tiny jars of baby food will be replaced by real food. And until they learn how to do it themselves, so will your kitchen!

Around the second or third year mark, your tiny human is going to finish up their set of baby teeth with the final molars. The final teeth are the largest ones in their mouth and will be painful coming in, but after they get settled, things will be A-OK.

Your child should begin visiting the dentist around their first year. To schedule baby’s first visit, contact Dr. Ted Haines, DDS in Snohomish, WA at 360-568-8577 or visit www.tedhainesdds.com for additional information.

In honor of National Toothache Day, it seems only fitting to take a moment to talk about these painful oral issues. After all, toothaches are some of the worst pains because we use our teeth on such a regular basis. When one of them is in pain, it’s hard to ignore. But what exactly is a toothache?

First things first, there are triggers that let you know you have a toothache – and they are just normal everyday things we all do. Biting down on something hard, sweets and/or hot and cold drinks are likely to send a shooting pain through you, signaling you may need to make a dentist appointment.

Not only will pain be involved in your achy tooth, but there are a few physical symptoms your mouth will use to let you know that your tooth is not doing so hot. A throbbing pain in your mouth, swollen painful gums, a headache or even a fever are all symptoms that something is wrong in your mouth and should get checked asap. It may not always be a toothache; but leaving it untreated will not only increase the issue, but may make things much worse.

Because the tooth pain is an issue within the soft center of the tooth, inflammation can be caused by various dental issues. Cavities, infected tooth roots and gums, broken teeth and damaged fillings are all issues that need to be taken care of in a dental office during your regular checkups in order to prevent a toothache from developing.